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Unit of study_

EDPE5001: Psychological Principles of Education

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This core unit of study surveys research-based psychological principles of teaching, learning, motivation, and assessment at an advanced level. The unit emphasises critical reflection on translation of these principles into practice. At the end of this unit of study, students will have made substantial progress towards understanding the utility of psychological research for educators. They will have the capacity to appraise learning, teaching and assessment activities in terms of their psychological effectiveness.

Unit details and rules

Unit code EDPE5001
Academic unit Education
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Kathryn Bartimote, kathryn.bartimote@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Online task hurdle task Introduce yourself
Hurdle task - Introduce yourself
0% Week 01
Due date: 23 Feb 2024 at 23:59
100 words
Outcomes assessed: LO5
Small continuous assessment Reflective statement 1
Reflective statement 1
10% Week 02
Due date: 01 Mar 2024 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Small continuous assessment Reflective statement 2
Reflective statement 2
20% Week 05
Due date: 22 Mar 2024 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Small continuous assessment Reflective statement 3
Reflective statement 3
30% Week 07
Due date: 12 Apr 2024 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Recorded presentation
Recorded presentation - Verbal proposal for a special project
10% Week 09
Due date: 26 Apr 2024 at 23:59
10 minutes (equivalent to 1000 words)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Assignment Feedback on 2 proposals
Give feedback on 2 other students' proposals
10% Week 10
Due date: 03 May 2024 at 23:59
500 words (2 x 250 words)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Written proposal
Written proposal
20% Week 12
Due date: 17 May 2024 at 23:59
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

The assessment for this unit of study comprises two main components - 3 reflective statements where you are asked to provide an:

  • overview of a teaching and learning principle you found to be particular valuable; and
  • how it is grounded in evidence generated by sound research;
  • how it has influenced the way that you think about a particular context;
  • how it could influence your future practice.

and a proposal for a Master of Education special project - which will require students to select a topic covered in EDPE5001 that they would like to learn more about and "pitch" a plan for how they will go about doing so. In the pitch, students will need to select one of five applications: teaching practices, learning strategies, assessment methods, professional learning, or curriculum (re)design. Students will receive feedback (from 2 fellow students and a teacher) on a recorded verbal presentation of their proposal before submitting a final written proposal.

 

Detailed information for each assignment can be found on the Canvas site.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the unit Seminar (2 hr) LO1
Week 02 PRINCIPLE 1: Students’ beliefs or perceptions about intelligence and ability affect their cognitive functioning and learning. PRINCIPLE 2: What students already know affects their learning Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 03 PRINCIPLE 3: Working memory is a “bottleneck” for learning. PRINCIPLE 4: Students’ cognitive development and learning are not limited by general stages of development Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 04 PRINCIPLE 5: Learning is based on context, so generalizing learning to new contexts is not spontaneous but instead needs to be facilitated. PRINCIPLE 6: Acquiring long-term knowledge and skill is largely dependent on practice Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 05 PRINCIPLE 7: Clear, explanatory, and timely feedback to students is important for learning. PRINCIPLE 8: Students’ self-regulation assists learning, and self-regulatory skills can be taught Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 06 PRINCIPLE 9: Student creativity can be fostered. PRINCIPLE 10: Students tend to enjoy learning and perform better when they are more intrinsically than extrinsically motivated to achieve Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 07 PRINCIPLE 11: Students persist in the face of challenging tasks and process information more deeply when they adopt mastery goals rather than performance goals. PRINCIPLE 12: Teachers’ expectations about their students affect students’ opportunities to learn, their motivation, and their learning outcomes Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 08 PRINCIPLE 13: Setting goals that are short term (proximal), specific, and moderately challenging enhances motivation more than establishing goals that are long term (distal), general, and overly challenging. PRINCIPLE 14: Students’ personalities exhibit both stability and the potential for change Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 09 PRINCIPLE 15: Learning is situated within multiple social contexts. PRINCIPLE 16: Interpersonal relationships and communication are critical to both the teaching–learning process and the social-emotional development of students Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 10 PRINCIPLE 17: Emotional well-being influences educational performance, learning, and development. PRINCIPLE 18: Expectations for classroom conduct and social interaction are learned and can be taught using proven principles of behavior and effective classroom instruction Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 PRINCIPLE 19: Effective classroom management is based on (a) setting and communicating high expectations, (b) consistently nurturing positive relationships, and (c) providing a high level of student support. PRINCIPLE 20: Formative and summative assessments are both important and useful but require different approaches and interpretations Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 PRINCIPLE 21: Students’ skills, knowledge, and abilities are best measured with assessment processes grounded in psychological science with well-defined standards for quality and fairness. PRINCIPLE 22: Making sense of assessment data depends on clear, appropriate, and fair interpretation Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 13 Review Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: The Sydney School of Education and Social Work requires attendance of at least 90 percent of all seminars, workshops or lectures.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please look on the Canvas site for all weekly readings and learning activities for this unit of study. 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Gain a critical understanding of the psychological research and established theories on which the principles of teaching and learning are based
  • LO2. Relate these principles to a range of educational activities, e.g., teaching practices, learning strategies, assessment methods, professional learning, curriculum (re)design
  • LO3. Evaluate a range of educational practices in terms of these principles
  • LO4. Critically reflect on these principles to justify changes in practice
  • LO5. Translate these principles into practice for specialist and non-specialist audiences

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Unit of study substantially revised and renamed in 2024

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.